The Principles Embodied in the Quranic Worldview Paper Example

Introduction

The term 'worldview' has over time received different definitions' and further different connotations. It is a term that summaries the interpretation and concurrently the set of beliefs about essential aspects of reality that base, and affect all of one's perception, thinking, knowledge, and doing. By extension, a world view can be considered an introspection into the world, a perception of the world; literally, a specific philosophy about life; a concept of the world, held by a group or an individual, in this case, Muslims.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Reflection on Monotheism (tawhd).

The fundamental principle in the Quranic world view is that of Monotheism (tawhd). This principle holds that; Allah is the ceiling of all human logic and being. He is the creator of the universe and all that is within it. Allah holds human life in his hands and decides what to do with each at every given point of life. Only He is All-seeing, All-Hearing and there is nothing that can be likened to Him. The Qur'an has powerful, purposeful, spiritual and ethical inclinations and all these, reflect the essential way in which human conscience should exist. This fundamental principle is thus the root to which other principles grow from (Enein, 54).

Principle of Stewardship

Second to the principle of Monotheism is that of stewardship. Enein (2017) states that this principle implies the position of humanity in the world and how they should act. The human creature is supposed to recognize only Allah as the sole Supreme Being and the creator of both heaven and earth. He is the giver of life, honor, prestige, and everything that accompanies it. The principle of monotheism, therefore, prohibits the worship of any other being apart from God. It puts forth 'norms' which regulate the responsibilities, decisions, duties, and accountability that all humans on the planet should abide by. Based on the fact that at both self and communal levels, all humanity is self-aware. This enables them to be able to choose and thus act in accordance with the statutes embodied in the principle of stewardship. In the Islam world, stewardship espouses service and honor to other people; it is not about self-interest and selfish desires, it is a dedication to serving others freely and honourably.

In comparison to other beings/creation, humanity is held in esteem in the Qur'an as only human beings have both spirit and conscience, hence their fervent desire to seek Allah and resultantly, all knowledge. The gift of spirit and consciousness empowers humanity with freedom, which in turn, comes with the burden of responsibility. This burden, like Bartz, Janieta, and Thomas Bartz (2018) argue is the ultimate decider of how meaningful one's choices are. Subsequently, the unwise choice of using one's freedom to cause chaos or infringe on other people's rights/their interest, those of the community or generations, is strictly forbidden. The Qur'an upholds the importance of the stewardship principle; Imams are the first symbols of stewards that the rest of the society looks up to.

Reflection on Justice ('adalah).The principle of stewardship builds on the premise of justice ('adalah). Justice, as Duderija, Adis (2017) argue in their literature on society, 'justice and Islam', is the central objective of all human interaction at spiritual, social, political, and material levels. Justice defines the principality fo fairness, that everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with respect. Justice is the balance by which acceptable human behavior is measured. A world devoid of justice, hence moderation, is resultantly devoid of purpose and meaning. From the history of Islam, the principle of justice is all-inclusive and through the Qur'an, humanity should be able to realize its balancing and embracing nature. From the Islamic worldview (IWV), justice means placing creation in their rightful order. It also implies giving all creation (in this case human beings) equivalent treatment. In Islam, justice is also not only a moral virtue but it is also a desired attribute of human personality. The same applies if compared to Christianity and other religions as well. Justice and equality are close and sometimes considered synonymous, but the two are not identical. Justice is equated to equality as it aims to create a state of evenness in the distribution of duties and rights (Adis et. al, 2017).

At times, justice is attained through disparity/inequality, like in uneven dissemination of wealth. The Prophet of Islam professed: "There are seven categories of people whom God will shelter under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His. [One is] the just leader." Allah spoke to His Envoy in this way: "O My slaves, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and forbade it also for you. So avoid being unjust to one another." Thus, justice represents moral fairness and rectitude, since it implies things should be where they belong.

The importance of justice to the Qur'anic value system is exhibited by this verse: "We sent Our Messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Measure in order to establish justice among the people...". The expression 'Our Messengers' illustrates that justice has been the aim of all scriptures and sent revelation to humanity (Hafez & Ziad, 443). The verse also illustrates that justice must be implemented and measured by the guidelines and standards set by both scripture and revelation. The Islamic view to justice, as per the Qur'an, is all-embracing and comprehensive. Thus, any actions or intentions that project towards a path for peace or harmony is deemed worthy in accordance with Islamic law. The Qur'an teaches that through Allah demands justice, He did not particularly pre-determine ways in which to achieve it, this has led to many actions and interpretations in the Muslim world and Sharia in general, which on the larger hand has caused a lot of confusion (Hafez & Ziad, 445).

However, humanity is not without direction with regard to this. The scriptures are apt with guidelines on how to achieve justice and further, how to appease both the aggrieved and the accused. Therefore, procedures, all means, and approaches that enable, refine, and develop the cause of justice, and do not violate the laws of Islam are valid.

Discussing justice without discussing the morals encompassed in the principles of the Qur'an would be imprudent. Hence in the next section, morality is discussed.

Some Reflections on Morality (Akhlaq)

Ghani, Radiah Abdul, Ahmad Irfan Ikmal Hisham, and Athirah Nur Ahmad Rosli (2018) define morality as a statement or lesson; amoral discourse, a doctrine or code of moral conduct; abiding by principles of right human conduct. Comparatively, the Islamic inclination towards morality as a principle is the same, they are similar in temperament. The notion of morality in the Qur'an focuses on some of the other fundamental principles, many of which have been analyzed in the preceding sections.

Holistically speaking, the facets of morality in the Islamic context can be considered far-reaching, numerous, and comprehensive (Ghani et. al 2018). The Islamic morals, like those of other religions, define how a man should relate with God, man and his fellow men (both men and women), man and other creations and lastly man and himself (inner being). A true Muslim has to regulate and watch his external behavior and concurrently, his resultant words, deeds, thoughts, feelings, and intents. In a broad sense, his purpose is to be a witness for what is right and strongly oppose what is wrong. He/she should value what is decent and beautiful, and evade what is indecent. Virtue and truth are his objectives. Second to his nature are humility, courtesy, simplicity, compassion. The same way self-importance, arrogance, harshness, and unconcern, are distasteful to Allah, so should they be to him (Ghani et. al 2018).

In the Quranic worldview, the below-stated verse is reflected upon as an imperative moral value: "It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness, to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and give Zakah, to fulfill the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic, such are the people of truth, the God-fearing."

Social Freedom in the Quranic Worldview

Social freedom, as (Kamla, 68) argues, refers to the individualistic freedom of conscience linked to the beliefs, doctrinal beliefs, and worldview of a person. Secondly, the social domain is the freedom to act. This freedom affects society and is determined by mutual consultation with corresponding limits. The community sets boundaries and limits and should strive for the right balance between individual rights.

Mutual Consultation as another Key Principle

The Qur'an is a guarantee to Islam that Allah's enduring reward shall be accorded to those "...who heed to [the call of] their Sustainer and are persistent in prayer; and whose rule [in all matters of common concern] is consultation among themselves..." (Kamla, 70). The need to consult with other Muslims is so that there can be guidance for the management and ordering of society holistically, without overstepping into individual freedoms and rights.

The worlds' populous is led both intuitively and rationally to the belief that; within the confines of their abilities and limits, coupled with their environments and circumstances, they are at liberty to make choices which are both meaningful and responsible. The Qur'anic worldview furthers that the human experience is a meaningful experience that should be full of fundamental goodness. The view carries the notion that all an individual can accomplish in life by way or their creativity, reforms and extended services are a direct action of who they are in the spiritual realm. Our innate abilities, stemming from our spiritual inheritance from our provider are his ways of showing us what he wishes us to be and further, how he has empowered us to be in the service of each other (Usman, Abur Hamdi, 2018). The innate spirituality is the basis of our moral and hence religious sense. By focusing on these aspirations and placing them at the center of our consciousness, the Qur'anic worldview becomes our motivation and source of aspiration.

One thus becomes better able to make well-informed, conscious, and responsible choices about their direction in life. The Quranic worldview thus strengthens our consciousness of our moral accountability and responsibility. These are intimate fragments of our God-given humanity and among the features that make us worthy of the role of God's stewards on earth (Usman, Abur Hamdi, 2018).

Cultures and civilizations are the direct results of humanity's growing knowledge and their ability to utilize the earth's resources to build their own creations. By extension, humanity has been granted freedom, which is the ability to choose (between right and wrong), coupled with a deep capacity for moral and spiritual perception that enables them to live decisively and to seek rectitude and goodness, and a collective consciousness of their answerability before their Maker (Yilmaz, Ihsan, 58).

Mutual consultation (al-shura) is not determined by the interests and whims of individuals wielding power or influence but is rather open to the contribution of the broader community. This evident notion thus defends the legitimate rights of all to act on the basis of their convictions without restriction or hindrance, thereby satisfying the reason of human existence and ser...